This ancient place symbolizes for me how important it is to honor the past, know those who came long before us, exhibit craftsmanship, and build for the long haul. I have sought to do all this since 2005. While speaking out of very Progressive political leanings, I still maintain a deep love of the Constitution.

Monday, June 08, 2009

National Security has dominated the news for me in recent months, because there is so much going on . . . and so much at stake. I have been collecting news items from a number of my favorite good reliable sources. I am posting these links and synopsis quotes today as a service to my readers. You will see important items you may have missed or to which you would like to return for more study.

Cybersecurity for the military -- The civilian cybersecurity initiative* was rolled out recently and the military moded is not far behind. "Pentagon plans new arm to wage cyberspace wars," comes from the New York Times (5/28/09). To quote:

The Pentagon plans to create a new military command for cyberspace, administration officials said Thursday, stepping up preparations by the armed forces to conduct both offensive and defensive computer warfare. The military command would complement a civilian effort to be announced by President Obama . . . that would overhaul the way the United States safeguards its computer networks. . . White House officials say Mr. Obama has not yet been formally presented with the Pentagon plan. . .

But he is expected to sign a classified order in coming weeks that will create the military cybercommand, officials said. It is a recognition that the United States already has a growing number of computer weapons in its arsenal and must prepare strategies for their use — as a deterrent or alongside conventional weapons — in a wide variety of possible future conflicts.

The nation's top military, intelligence and homeland security officials are recommending that President Obama establish a new White House cyber czar under the National Security Council with broad policy-setting authority for protecting both public- and private-sector computer networks, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

State laws regain standing -- Rebalancing this equation was imperative due to the Bush administration's tendency to run roughshod over entities with less power. "Obama curtails Bush's policy of 'preemption'," came from the Washington Post (5/22/09). To quote:

It lets federal rules override state laws. President Obama continued to reverse his predecessor's policies this week by undoing a controversial Bush administration rule known as "preemption" that used federal regulations to override state laws on the environment, health, public safety and other issues.

In recent weeks, Jones has been portrayed in foreign policy articles and blogs as too measured and low-key to keep pace with the hard chargers working late hours in the West Wing. Some senior White House officials questioned early on whether Jones, 65, a retired four-star Marine general who barely knew Obama before the election, would succeed among younger staffers whose relationships with the president were forged during the long and arduous campaign.

. . . White House officials who cited early misgivings, more stylistic than substantive, insisted they have now disappeared. But Jones acknowledges that the road has not always been smooth, and he appears more comfortable than some of his administration colleagues in saying they still have some distance to travel.

It is "absolutely" fair to say that it has taken some time for him and his colleagues to get used to each other, Jones said in an interview Tuesday. "From this West Wing, in particular, because this is Obama Nation, right? True? This is where the Obama election campaign came,landed, en masse."

The FBI has retained almost 24,000 names on the nation's terrorist watch list without current or proper justification, while failing to include people who are subjects of terrorist investigations, according to a Justice Department report issued yesterday.

The FBI's lapses "create a risk to national security," Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine said in the report. In addition, he said, keeping people on the list improperly can lead to unnecessary delays for travelers at airports, along highways and elsewhere.

Many people would be shocked to learn that the two biggest contractors in the ultra-sophisticated NSA eavesdropping program are owned and run by Israelis, many of whom came from their country's own electronic spying services.

In effect, writes James Bamford in his latest book on the NSA, "Virtually the entire American telecommunications system is bugged by [Israeli-formed] companies with possible ties to Israel's eavesdropping agency."

And the head of one of them is a crook, according to federal indictments.

"Focus on Fusion Centers" is from Secrecy News by Steven Aftergood (2/27/09). Regional national security centers facilitated by the FBI. National and local "big brothers" team up to watch what we are doing.

"Polygon" by Carol Gee

Living Green

Constitutional Focus:

The USA has a guiding document that has informed our finest hours for over 200 hundred years. The Constitution enshrines certain rights and liberties that have made us who we are. The Bill of Rights includes free speech, privacy, voting rights and habeas corpus, among others.

These rights and liberties have been eroding since the turn of the century. South by Southwest is my small effort to inform. As advocates, we fight for the full restoration of the Constitution,with all its inherent rights, as our guiding document.

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The Magic of "paper.li"

If you are active on the social web site, Twitter, skimming the news will be your mode of operation. You will see the most recent 140-character posts from all those you follow. But it is not as if you are reading a newspaper.
This is where the auto-generating platform “paper.li” comes in. Tweeps are able to “publish” daily news pages featuring whatever subjects are of interest to them. I am able to add or delete news items, move them around on the page, and add my own Editor’s note whenever I wish.
My four daily news pages include:
Speaking Up -- A platform for my favorite important voices.

Many of us admire activists who stand up and speak out for what is right. I follow good people in Congress, prominent civil libertarians, popular bloggers, and effective journalists and writers. They speak up here.
I edit this material most every day. By moving items, deleting ones that are not pertinent and adding my own, it reflects my take on activism.
This "newspaper" is an auto- compilation from three of my Twitter lists:
Civil Libs - ActivistsBloggers and BlogsOfficials – Government

This is an edited auto-publication.

As the curator of my Twitter lists, from which these news items come, I take care that all the articles and headlines are those that are most significant, timely, unusual, or interesting to me.
It is one of the ways I quickly "keep up with the day."
My lists of contributors to this paper (whom I follow) include:Media DarlingsReporters and WritersNewspapers and Magazines.

Space, technology, the environment and science impact our lives daily.This news source focuses on the Earth and its neighborhoods.
Good causes working to save the earth and its creatures are spotlighted.
I follow astronauts, NASA, science and technology news-makers, etc.
Their posts are presented here every day.
Enjoy! And then do your own part . . .